Month: February 2014

As Veteran’s Day approaches, the
nation’s largest group of Eye M.D.s (ophthalmologists) launched a Web site
today dedicated to providing quality eye care information and resources for
U.S. veterans.

Veteranseyecare, a service of the American Academy of
Ophthalmology, grew out of the organization’s commitment to ensure that all
veterans receive superior eye care and know where and how to find it.

“The American Academy of Ophthalmology’s partnership with the
Association of Veterans Affairs Ophthalmologists has been instrumental in
helping us reach our patients,” AVAO President-elect Ivan J. Suner, MD,
associate professor Duke University Eye Center, and former active-duty
major in the U.S. Air Force said. “The new website is another extension of
our commitment to deliver outstanding customer service and care to our
Veterans.”

Veterans of yesterday and today face more eye-related conditions,
diseases, and injuries than ever before. The Academy is uniquely poised to
help: the Academy comprises more than 90 percent of practicing U.S. Eye
M.D.s, including physicians and surgeons in the 154 VA hospitals and more
than 875 clinics across the country.

Veteranseyecare is a one-stop reference designed to provide
connecting information on eye diseases, treatment and facilities. In
addition, it can assist veterans and top-notch physicians for all aspects
of eye care, from preventive medicine to eye surgery.

“The Academy represents leadership in providing exceptional eye care to
patients,” said Academy International Envoy Michael W. Brennan, MD, a West
Point graduate and army veteran, who recently participated in health
infrastructure efforts in Iraq. “Opening this window of communications to
veterans, their families and the public is a timely and appropriate public
service.”

About the American Academy of Ophthalmology

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world’s largest
association of eye physicians and surgeons — Eye M.D.s — with more than
27,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” —
opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or
Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye
surgery. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy’s Web site at
aao.

American Academy of Ophthalmology
aao

The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary consistently promotes eye health and regular vision screenings as part of its mission and this month the hospital is highlighting healthy sight during the month of May. May is the Healthy Vision Month, an annual observance established by the National Eye Institute.

As part of Healthy Vision Month, Mass. Eye and Ear is encouraging people to schedule comprehensive dilated eye exams with their ophthalmologists.

In addition, people are urged to become knowledgeable about their family’s eye health history. Do the following to help keep your eyes healthy and protect them from trauma:

— eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids- proven to be beneficial in eye health;

— wear protective eyewear;

— if you’re a smoker, quit. If you don’t smoke, don’t start;

— wear sunglasses year-round;

— rest eyes every 20 minutes from staring at a computer or television monitor;

— wash hands thoroughly before handling or changing contact lenses; and

— always practice workplace safety as part of the healthy vision mission.

Source: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

A new study led by a scientist at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) is the first to conclude that Chlamydia trachomatis is evolving at a rate faster than scientists first thought or imagined. Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterium that is the leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases and the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Scientists believe the bacterium is evolving through a process called recombination where genes from one or more strains combine to create new strains and – theoretically – new diseases.

The study is featured in the November issue of Genome Research and was led by Dr. Deborah Dean MD, MPH, senior scientist at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI). Her research suggests that since Chlamydia trachomatis evolves through recombination where one or more strains combine, the traditional method of studying a single gene to track the transmission of the bacterium is wrong. “What we found is an organism that not only evolves rapidly, but in ways that we thought were rare. We also discovered that this organism can customize its attack,” said Dr. Dean. “Consequently, the constant flux of the bacterium could serve as a gateway for new emerging diseases, but more research needs to be conducted to understand if and how this is happening.”

600 million people are infected across the globe with Chlamydia trachomatis and 8 million are already blind or severely visually impaired. In some parts of third-world countries, more than 90% of the population is infected. Chlamydia trachomatis has a variety of strains; different strains are responsible for different diseases. Some strains cause sexually transmitted diseases while others cause eye infections. Blinding trachoma is caused by repeated eye infections that cause scarring, which result in the eyelashes turning in-wards. Bacterial infection develops as the eyelashes scratch the surface of the eye, which eventually heals by scarring, resulting in blindness.

Previously, the organism was identified using a single gene, ompA, and the protein encoded by that gene, MOMP. In this study, the clinical strains, which are samples of Chlamydia trachomatis currently responsible for human disease today, were compared to standard reference strains that have been laboratory adapted over the last few decades. By studying multiple strains, the researchers discovered that the strains that were identified as the same strain were actually different.

The next step will be to study clinical strains in comparison with laboratory reference strains to decipher exactly how different strains cause disease and whether new diseases are emerging as a result of the emergence of new strains. “Large-scale comparative genomics will be necessary to understand the precise mechanisms underlying Chlamydia trachomatis recombination and how other species of chamydiae may evolve and transfer from animals to humans.”

About Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland

Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland is a designated Level I pediatric trauma center and the largest pediatric critical care facility in the region. The hospital has 181 licensed beds and 166 hospital-based physicians in 31 specialties, more than two thousand five hundred employees, and an operating budget of $287 million. The hospital’s research institute has an annual budget of $41 million with more than 300 basic and clinic investigators. Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) has made significant progress in areas including pediatric obesity, cancers, sickle cell disease, AIDS/HIV and chlamydial diseases, hemophilia and cystic fibrosis.

Contact: Jennifer Santos

Children’s Hospital & Research Center at Oakland

A new technique that effectively delivers drugs to the eyes, using
microscopic needles, could offer hope to the millions of patients worldwide
suffering from common eye diseases that threaten vision such as glaucoma,
macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University
in America will present this research, entitled “Microneedles for Ocular Drug
Delivery,” to international experts at the Ophthalmic Drug Delivery symposium
being held at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain today.

The research looks at how microneedles can be used to deliver drugs to
the eye through a minimally invasive procedure. The needles used to penetrate
the eye only go as deep as half a millimetre into the eye tissue. This means
that the needles do not penetrate far enough to cause as much damage as
traditional needles. As a result, they can be applied to the eye using only
local anaesthetic.

This technique has the potential to revolutionise the way of treating
common eye conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic
retinopathy. Traditional delivery methods such as eye drops have difficulty
in efficiently delivering drugs to the back of the eye, and ordinary
injections are invasive as the needle penetrates across eye tissues. Repeated
injections with regular needles can also result in other serious
complications to vision.

Samirkumar Patel from the research team, said: “The eyes are one of the
most sensitive and delicate organs in the human body, and perhaps the most
fascinating. They present us with the window through which we view the world,
and are responsible for four fifths of all the information our brain
receives.

“Although the research is at an early stage it does show that it is
possible to use microneedles to effectively deliver drugs to targeted
sections of the eye, such as the anterior and posterior portions. No
inflammatory response or other adverse effects were observed in our early
tests. This is promising news for those who are suffering from vision
threatening diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic
retinopathy.”

The next stage of development will be further research to confirm safety
and gain a better understanding of the long-term effects.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the name of a group of eye diseases that affect vision. If
left untreated glaucoma can eventually cause blindness. Glaucoma is more
common in old age, and happens when the optic nerve in the eye is damaged.
Open angle glaucoma affects about two in every hundred people over the age of
40. However, this increases over the age of 70 to one person in ten.

Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is a painless disorder that affects the macula, the
central part of the retina in the eyes, causing progressive loss of central
and detailed vision. Macular degeneration is the most common reason for
people in the UK to be registered blind, though total blindness almost never
occurs from this condition. Age-Related Macular Degeneration is the most
common form of macular degeneration although there are some rare forms that
affect younger people. The incidence increases with each decade over the age
of 50 to almost 15% by the age of 75. Macular degeneration is more common in
females. Other risk factors include family history, and smoking.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common causes of blindness in the
UK in people between the ages of 30-65, and 12% of people who are registered
blind and partially sighted each year have diabetic eye disease. Retinopathy
means damage to the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish the retina,
the tissues in the back of the eye that deal with light. Damage to these
vessels causes blood leakage (haemorrhage), which may be small and confined
to the retina, or may extend forward into the jelly that fills the main
cavity of the eye (the vitreous gel). This can seriously affect the vision.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain is the professional and
regulatory body for pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales. It also
regulates pharmacy technicians on a voluntary basis, which is expected to
become statutory under anticipated legislation. The primary objectives of the
Society are to lead, regulate, develop and represent the profession of
pharmacy. The Society leads and supports the development of the profession
within the context of the public benefit. This includes the advancement of
science, practice, education and knowledge in pharmacy. In addition, it
promotes the profession’s policies and views to a range of external
stakeholders in a number of different forums. Following the publication in
2007 of the Government White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety – The
Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century, the Society is
working towards the demerger of its regulatory and professional roles. This
will see the establishment of a new General Pharmaceutical Council and a new
professional body for pharmacy in 2010.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a condition that can cause sudden loss of vision. There is currently no effective treatment for CRAO. Previous research has suggested that Intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT), a procedure by which clot busting medication is delivered through the arterial system inside the clot, may be a promising option, however; estimates on its use and associated outcomes have not been available. A new study from the Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, published in the Journal of Neuroimaging, investigates the use of thrombolysis as a treatment for CRAO in the United States.

Analyzing data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which contains information representing 20 percent of hospital stays in the U.S., the study finds that none of the patients who received IAT required rehabilitation or long term facility placement compared to 12 percent of the patients who did not receive such treatment.

Thrombolysis should be performed as soon as possible, but the study finds varying time windows for effective treatment. Although more data is required, it appears that for maximum benefit, IAT should be performed within 12 hours of symptom onset, although it may continue to be effective for up to one day after CRAO occurs in some patients.

Due to the lack of standardized care for CRAO patients, different centers approach the condition in different ways. Roughly 2 percent of patients admitted to hospitals with the condition receive IAT, but this treatment is limited exclusively to patients in urban teaching hospitals. The study finds that the highest proportion of CRAO patients are admitted to non-teaching centers, where thrombolysis is not used, and therefore may not receive potentially vision-saving treatment.

The use of thrombolysis as a treatment for CRAO is still debated, but as there are no other options, it seems a beneficial avenue of investigation. “If such treatment is proven with clinical trial then transfer and acute management of such patients to more specialized centers can potentially salvage their vision,” says lead author M. Fareed K. Suri, M.D., who stresses the need for a large-scale clinical trial to provide more information on the efficacy of thrombolysis as a treatment for CRAO.

M. Fareed K. Suri, M.D., is a vascular and interventional neurologist and a researcher at the Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, University of Minnesota. Dr. Suri can be reached for questions at suri0027umn.edu.

The Journal of Neuroimaging addresses the full spectrum of human nervous system disease including stroke, neoplasia, degenerative and demyelinating disease, epilepsy, infectious disease, toxic-metabolic disease, psychoses, dementias, heredo-familial disease and trauma. Each issue offers original clinical articles, case reports, articles on advances in experimental research, technology updates, and neuroimaging CPCs. For more information, please visit blackwell-synergy/loi/jon.

Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the merger between Blackwell Publishing Ltd. and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.’s Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,250 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more information on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit blackwellpublishing or interscience.wiley.

STAAR Surgical
Company (Nasdaq: STAA), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of
minimally invasive ophthalmic products, today announced that the first
Visian ICLs(TM) (Implantable Collamer Lenses) have been surgically
implanted in China since the State Food and Drug Administration of the
People’s Republic of China (SFDA) approved the marketing of the product
last month.

Professor Yuangui Wang performed the first two bilateral surgeries on
August 9, 2006, at the WJ Army Hospital in Shenzhen, a city of more than 4
million people in the Guangdong Province of southern China. The first
patient was a nearsighted 35-year-old male journalist with astigmatism, and
the second patient was a severely nearsighted 19-year-old female student,
also suffering from astigmatism. Both had significantly improved vision
after the procedure.

“The first patient was -9.5D with some astigmatism and the second was
-13 with 2.5D of astigmatism before treatment,” said Professor Yuangui.
“After we implanted the Visian ICL, the first patient could see 20/15 with
both eyes, and the 2nd patient improved to 20/20 the following day, a major
improvement that shocked all of the staff.

“These outstanding results didn’t really surprise me, however, as I
have been following the ICL for a couple of years and had heard of its fast
recovery,” Professor Yuangui added. “The patients were absolutely delighted
with the results.”

Made of STAAR’s proprietary, highly biocompatible Collamer(R) material,
the ICL is the only minimally invasive foldable lens of its kind approved
for the Chinese commercial market. As a result of the unique foldable
design, the ICL procedure allows an incision up to 50% smaller than
competing technology, and its placement in the eye behind the iris provides
a more aesthetically pleasing outcome. Additionally, the procedure has been
given positive reviews by ophthalmologists and other eye care professionals
who have been taught the procedure at pre-established training facilities
in China.

“The surgical procedure is straightforward and easy to learn,” said
Prof. Yuangui. “As the procedure does not alter the shape of the cornea, I
feel that I’m correcting vision in a much more natural way. I believe the
ICL will become a major option for my refractive patients.”

“The first successful procedures are an important achievement for STAAR
in our entry into the Chinese market,” said David Bailey, President and CEO
of STAAR Surgical. “China is currently the second largest market in the
world for the LASIK procedure, and we feel we are taking the steps
necessary to establish the Visian ICL as an attractive alternative to LASIK
for the future. We believe that this market has the potential to become one
of the largest markets for our ICL and will lead to meaningful growth in
our overall refractive business.”

Myopia, the inability to see distant objects as clearly as near
objects, and astigmatism, an uneven curvature of the surface of the eye
that causes visual blurriness, occur more frequently in Asian countries. In
May 2005, STAAR announced it had received approval to market the Visian
Toric ICL in South Korea and the ICL and Toric ICL in Singapore. South
Korea is currently the Company’s largest Asian market for the Visian ICL
and TICL and one of the Company’s top two markets internationally.

About STAAR Surgical

STAAR Surgical is a leader in the development, manufacture and
marketing of minimally invasive ophthalmic products employing proprietary
technologies. STAAR’s products are used by ophthalmic surgeons and include
the Visian ICL, a tiny, flexible lens implanted to correct refractive
errors, as well as innovative products designed to improve patient outcomes
for cataracts and glaucoma. STAAR’s ICL is approved by the FDA for use in
treating myopia, has received CE Marking and is approved for sale in 43
countries. More than 50,000 ICLs have been sold worldwide. Collamer(R) is a
registered trademark for STAAR’s proprietary collagen co-polymer lens
material. More information is available at staar.

Safe Harbor

All statements in this press release that are not statements of
historical fact are forward-looking statements, including any statements of
the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations,
any statements regarding expectations for success of the ICL or other
products in U.S. or international markets, statements of belief and any
statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. These statements
are based on expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press
release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could
cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties include our limited
capital resources and limited access to financing, our ability to overcome
negative publicity resulting from warning letters and other correspondence
from the FDA Office of Compliance, the willingness of surgeons and patients
to adopt a new product and procedure, and our ability to successfully
launch and market the ICL in the U.S. while overcoming the foregoing
challenges. Our ability to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the
approval of the ICL in China depends on our overall financial condition,
which can be adversely affected by general economic conditions and other
factors beyond our control, including those detailed from time to time in
our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. STAAR
assumes no obligation to update these forward- looking statements to
reflect future events or actual outcomes and does not intend to do so.

STAAR Surgical Company
staar

InSite Vision Incorporated (AMEX:ISV) announced that the Therapeutic Products Directorate (TPD) of Health Canada has approved the company’s new drug submission (NDS) for AzaSite (azithromycin ophthalmic solution) 1% for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye) in adults and children one year and older. AzaSite is formulated with DuraSite®, InSite Vision’s patented drug delivery vehicle that enhances the retention time of the antibiotic on the surface of the eye, offering the benefit of a less frequent and more convenient dosing regimen.

AzaSite was approved for treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2007, and commercially launched in August 2007 by Inspire Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company based in Durham, North Carolina and exclusive licensee of AzaSite in the U.S. and Canada. Under the terms of the companies’ agreement, the NDS will transfer to Inspire Pharmaceuticals and Inspire will be responsible for marketing AzaSite in Canada.

“Canadian approval of AzaSite is an important milestone for InSite, furthering our efforts to reach more patients with a product that is a clinically proven, safe and effective treatment for conjunctivitis and typically requires less than half the dosing of other ocular antibiotics,” commented Lou Drapeau, InSite’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are focused on supporting our marketing partner, Inspire Pharmaceuticals, on the expansion of AzaSite sales and we look forward to working closely with them to capture additional value for the product throughout North America.”

Canadian regulatory approval was based on two Phase 3 clinical trials of AzaSite which demonstrated that AzaSite was safe and effective. Enrolling more than 1400 patients with bacterial conjunctivitis in the U.S. and Latin America, AzaSite was administered twice daily on the first two days, then once daily on days 3-5. Results from the Phase 3 pivotal trials demonstrated that AzaSite provided clinically and statistically significant improvements in clinical resolution of symptoms and bacterial eradication compared to placebo; and was equivalent in clinical resolution and bacterial eradication when compared to tobramycin administered four times a day for five days.

About Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane (conjunctiva) lining the eyelid and part of the eyeball. The cause is a bacterial or viral infection and the most common symptoms include redness, itching or a gritty feeling in one or both eyes, and may be accompanied by a discharge or tearing. While anyone can get conjunctivitis, it is very common in children, is highly contagious and has been estimated to account for up to three million missed school days in the United States alone.

About InSite Vision

InSite Vision is committed to advancing new and superior ophthalmic products for unmet eye care needs. InSite is recognized for the discovery and development of novel ocular pharmaceutical products based on its DuraSite® bioadhesive polymer core technology, an innovative platform that extends the duration of drug delivery on the eye’s surface thereby reducing frequency of treatment and improving the efficacy of topically delivered drugs. By formulating the well-established antibiotic azithromycin in DuraSite, InSite developed the lowest-dosing ocular antibiotic available to the United States ophthalmic market, AzaSite® (azithromycin ophthalmic solution) 1%. AzaSite is marketed by Inspire Pharmaceuticals in the United States for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye) and will be by international partners in South Korea, four countries in South America, Turkey and China.

InSite’s ophthalmic product development portfolio also includes ISV-502, which is currently in Phase 3 pivotal trials for the treatment of eye and eyelid infection and inflammation (blepharoconjunctivitis), and additional product candidates leveraging the company’s core technologies. For further information on InSite Vision, please visit insitevision.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events, including the expected marketing of AzaSite Canada by Inspire and InSite’s plans to advance AzaSite and its AzaSite family of products. Such statements entail a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: InSite’s reliance on third parties, including Inspire, for the commercialization of AzaSite and its other products; InSite’s ability to retain Mr. Drapeau and other key management now and in the future; the ability of InSite to enter into corporate collaborations for AzaSite outside its currently licensed territories, and with respect to its other product candidates, including ISV-502; Inspire’s ability to successfully market AzaSite in the United States and Canada; the ability of InSite’s international partners to obtain approval to market AzaSite outside the U.S. and Canada; InSite’s ability to commence clinical trials with respect to its various product candidates and the results of such trials; the clinical results of InSite’s product candidates; InSite’s ability to expand its technology platform to include additional indications; InSite’s ability to compete effectively, either alone or through its partners, with other companies offering competing products or treatments; its ability to adequately protect its intellectual property and to be free to operate with regard to the intellectual property of others; and determinations by the FDA, including those with respect to ISV-502. Reference is made to the discussion of these and other risk factors detailed in InSite Vision’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in such reports. Any forward looking statements or projections are based on the limited information currently available to InSite Vision, which is subject to change. Although any such forward looking statements or projections and the factors influencing them will likely change, InSite Vision undertakes no obligation to update the information. Such information speaks only as of the date of its release. Actual events or results could differ materially and one should not assume that the information provided in this release is still valid at any later date.

Source
InSite Vision

View drug information on AzaSite.

A person searching for a ripe tomato at the grocery store is more likely to notice apples, strawberries and other red fruits as well, according to a new study that measured changes in blood flow in the brain. The researchers also discovered that more neurons are called into action to help the eyes find a particular object than has previously been documented.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers observed systematic changes in brain activity when participants focused on observing a certain object in motion, no matter where it appeared in their visual field.

“This increased activity in the brain is what helps you find objects you are looking for, even when you don’t know exactly where the objects are,” said UC Irvine cognitive scientist John Serences.

The study, co-authored by Serences and University of Washington associate professor Geoffrey Boynton, is published in the journal Neuron.

In their study, researchers presented participants with a computer display of objects moving in different directions. Participants were asked to pay attention to objects moving only in a particular direction (for example, the object moving to the left). Using noninvasive fMRI to indirectly measure neural activity, researchers demonstrate that patterns of brain activity change when people pay attention to objects moving in different directions.

In addition, paying attention to one direction of motion makes the brain more responsive to other objects moving in that direction, no matter where the other objects appear in their visual field — a phenomenon that has not previously been documented.

This research may enhance scientists’ understanding of problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, while also explaining how healthy people’s brains create awareness of their surroundings.

“By gaining a more thorough understanding of how a healthy human brain functions, we will be better equipped in the future to recognize, diagnose and treat abnormalities within the brain,” Serences says.

This study was funded by the National Eye Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Founded by Congress in 1968, the NEI supports research aimed at developing treatment and preventative care options for vision disorders and eye disease.

About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,800 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.7 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

Contact:
Heather Wuebker

Source: Christine Byrd

University of California – Irvine

Bausch & Lomb Vision Care announces a renewed focus on its ReNu® brand of lens care solutions through a U.S. consumer need-based rebranding effort that introduces eye care practitioners and consumers to ReNu® Fresh Lens Comfort™ and ReNu® Sensitive Eyes®. Additionally, the company has recently established a dedicated U.S. lens care solution and eye care product sales force that is primarily responsible for engaging with eye care practitioners and keeping them updated on the benefits of Bausch & Lomb products for their patients and their practice.

“We felt that it was time to rejuvenate our original ReNu® brand of lens care solutions through a consumer need-driven portfolio approach that clearly articulates the specific benefits of each formula,” says Steven Robins, president, North America, Vision Care. “With ReNu® Fresh Lens Comfort™ and ReNu® Sensitive Eyes®, we can more directly help meet existing consumer needs such as the desire for a fresh lens feeling daily or for a solution that is gentle enough for sensitive eyes.”

To support its renewed commitment to lens care solutions and other eye care products, Bausch & Lomb has also established a dedicated U.S. sales force known as the Eye Care Specialist (ECS) team. Tasked with reaching out to the medical community and driving engagement, the ECS team is currently focusing on reaching eye care practitioners in the eastern half of the U.S. The program may also expand to the western half of the country next year. One of the team’s first tasks is to introduce eye care practitioners to the rebranding of the ReNu® portfolio.

ReNu® Fresh Lens Comfort™, formerly ReNu MultiPlus®, is specifically designed to keep contact lenses feeling like a fresh pair every day. The formula is the only multi-purpose solution on the market with Hydranate®, a clinically-tested ingredient that removes protein deposits that accumulate during wear. It also contains poloxamine to help remove dirt and debris and enhance wettability and moisture retention for a more comfortable feeling throughout the day, as well as DYMED®, which provides unsurpassed disinfection efficacy.

Additionally, as part of its new consumer needs-based portfolio strategy, Bausch & Lomb has repositioned its ReNu® Multi-Purpose Solution as ReNu® Sensitive Eyes®. Available in new packaging at stores nationwide in July 2009, this multi-purpose solution is designed specifically for lens wearers who want a gentle formula.

“A number of contact lens wearers identify themselves as having sensitive eyes,” says Robins. “We wanted to take into consideration this consumer need by letting them know that we have a formula on shelves that has sensitive eyes in mind from the very beginning.”

Proven to help provide gentle lens care for soft contact lenses, ReNu® Sensitive Eyes® features fewer ingredients and is intended to provide gentle cleaning without sacrificing performance and a high level of disinfection for healthy lens wear. It is specifically formulated to gently draw teardrops to the lenses and create a moisturizing comfort that results in less burning, stinging and irritation for the wearer. The suggested rub regimen also helps to remove potentially irritating particles.

Source: Bausch & Lomb

Researchers have discovered that a set of light-responsive retinal cells that form connections to the circadian clock are
functional very early in development, from the day of birth. Although the cells are sensitive to light, they do not
participate in image formation, a process that matures later on.

The work has been reported in the journal Current Biology by Sumathi Sekaran, of Imperial College London, and colleagues
there and at John Hopkins University and the University of Manchester.

The visual system is known to be composed of the classical image-forming pathway, which involves the function of rod and cone
photoreceptors, as well as the more recently discovered non-image-forming pathway, which involves specialized neurons called
intrinsically photoreceptive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Although extensive research has characterized the delayed
functional maturation of rod and cone photoreception, information pertaining to the development of the ipRGCs has been
lacking. It was known, however, that a photopigment present in mature ipRGCs, retinal melanopsin, is expressed long before
the classical rod and cone photopigments.

The new research directly studied the functional development of the ipRGCs in mice via a range of approaches, including the
examination of melanopsin expression, the physiological recording of ganglion-cell light responses, and the measuring of
functional outputs of these cells to higher brain regions. The researchers found that, quite remarkably, the
melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells are present in abundance and act as functional photoreceptors from the day of birth,
when it has been widely assumed the mouse retina lacks photodetection. At the time of birth, a significant percentage of
cells in the retinal ganglion-cell layer express melanopsin and respond to light.

At this early age, these cells provide input conveying light conditions to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the site of the
central circadian pacemaker. The findings show that the non-image-forming pathway is functional at birth, long before
development of photosensitivity of the mainstream image-forming visual pathway. It also has implications to the effect of
light on early retinal development.

The researchers include S. Sekaran, D. Lupi, S.L. Jones, R.G. Foster, and M.W. Hankins of Imperial College London; C.J.
Sheely and S. Hattar of Johns Hopkins University; K.-W. Yau of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and R.J. Lucas of
University of Manchester. This work was supported by The Wellcome Trust and in part by NSBRI through NASA NCC 9-58.

Sekaran, S., Lupi, D., Jones, S.L., Sheely, C.J., Hattar, S., Yau, K.-W., Lucas, R.J., Foster, R.G., and Hankins, M.W.(2005).
Melanopsin-Dependent Photoreception Provides Earliest Light Detection in the Mammalian Retina. DOI 10.1016/j.cub.2005.05.053
Current Biology, Vol. 15, 1099-1107, June 21, 2005. current-biology

Contact: Heidi Hardman
hhardmancell
1-617-397-2879
Cell Press
cellpress